April Snow - April 15-16, 2011

The long winter of 2010-2011 does not give up yet as another snowstorm dumps snow across parts of Minnesota.

Spring took a couple steps back from the balmy conditions experienced during the first 13 days of the month. A winter storm dumped more snow across much of northern and central Minnesota. Amounts were generally on the light side over central and southern Minnesota with some exceptions. Farmington in Dakota County picked up 4.5 inches. Amounts were heavier over northern Minnesota with 8 inches reported at Chisholm and 5.8 inches at International Falls.

The strong low pressure system was centered over Kansas during the wee hours of the morning on April 15. By Friday evening the low was over eastern Iowa and north west Illinois. The low strengthened as it moved to the Northeast and by Saturday evening is was over the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The freshly fallen snow provided good viewing of lakes that still had ice cover on Sunday April 17.

There were also some strong east winds with this storm system on April 15th with wind gusts as high as 51 mph near the lift bridge in Duluth. The Twin Cities International Airport measured a peak wind of 45 mph on the 15th.